Volume 15 | Issue 6
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
BRIEFS Free clinics for ex-servicemen running short of medicines Clinics working under the free healthcare scheme for ex-servicemen have been falling short of medicines for the past six months. The shortage is caused due to delay in sanction of medicines from the integrated finance adviser’s office, according to clinic staff. Page 2
Panel discussion on social policy and civil society
Human trafficking victims often treated as convicts, say experts Parvathi Benu Experts say that statistics on human trafficking and bonded labour cases cannot be trusted as most of the cases go unreported in the country. “The real number of people subjected to human trafficking is in reality very much higher than the number of cases reported,” said Dr. P. M. Nair, IPS (Retd.). Nair has worked for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) as Nodal Officer on anti-human trafficking and the Principal Researcher on the Action Research on Trafficking in Women and Children. He was a speaker at the National Research Conference on Human Trafficking, organized by Christ University along with the International Justice Mission (IJM). Statistics by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show that there had been an increase of 38.3 percent in human trafficking cases over the past five years. But the conviction rate shows a 45 percent decline. When asked about this, Dr. Nair said, “A surprising fact is that, the victims were charged as convicts in 93 percent of the cases in 2005. The situation has become better now, and this figure is now 85 percent.” He added that only 16 percent of the personnel in the police
force are trained to tackle trafficking and exploitation related crimes. A few other speakers at the event included Soumendu Mukherjee, former DIG, CID (anti-human trafficking unit), Brinda Adige of Global Concerns India and Esther Daniel, the director of system reform in International Justice Mission. “The whole explanation of the term bonded labour has to be redefined,” said Adige. “There was a case in Bangalore, when we rescued a domestic help, who was chained and made to do the work. But the police was not ready to charge a case of bonded labour, as they said it happens only in agriculture and factories,” she added. Adige said that most of the female bonded labourers in the state are subjected to perverted sex and do not speak up about the issue, as they fear it would affect their families. “Rehabilitation for these women is a continuous process. After treatment and counselling, they are trained in different trades. But, in almost 98 percent of the cases, the families are not ready to accept them back,” she added. The speakers also talked about the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU). “It is a multipurpose system which includes an Investigative Officer, an NGO, a prosecutor and
Illegal shop prompts police case A man in Kaggadasapura who cut through a supporting beam in an apartment block to open an illegal shop allegedly set local goons on residents who complained. Page 3
Cops use tech to trace murder victim Police sent a piglet wearing a camera down a manhole in their hunt for the body of a six-yearold girl, Husna Baig, a victim in a triple homicide.. Page 4
Artwork by Christ University students on human trafficking a government officer,” said Dr. Nair. “Home verification is a mandatory thing in trafficking, as it checks the involvement of parents. This has to be done by an NGO,” he added. “Karnataka, especially the northern districts of the state are both a source and destina-
tion of human trafficking. Bangalore mostly is a transit point,” said Mukherjee. “We have caught rackets functioning in the state through searches at bus stands. Many times, the victims were children sold by parents.”
Contd. on Page 3
5 out of 6 high-rises have no fire safety certificate High-rise buildings that do not comply with safety rules will have their power supply cut, according to a senior fire official. Page 4
2 THE OBSERVER
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Free clinics for retired servicemen running short of medicines Sana Husain Clinics working under the free healthcare scheme for ex-servicemen have been falling short of medicines for the past six months. The shortage is caused due to delay in sanction of medicines from the integrated finance adviser’s office, according to clinic staff. Under Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS), these clinics provide medical facilities to ex-servicemen and their dependents. “For the past three months, I haven’t received Voveran Emulgel,” said K. G. Sharma, an ex-serviceman’s father, who has an orthopaedic condition. “I called ECHS clinics several times, but there’s no response.” He said that for him, it is a matter of “compromising and living”. “Although ECHS provides good treatment, there’s a delay in medicines, due to less budgetary provision by the government,” said ex-serviceman C.P.L. Ganesh. Devaraju, who retired in 1971, suffers from diabetes. He said that his medicines cost Rs. 300, due to which he can’t afford it and has no choice but to come to ECHS. With a monthly pension of Rs.10, 800, he bears his wife’s health expenditure too. “Staying far away from ECHS clinics makes it difficult for me to travel all the way and being told to come after 2-3 days for
“
medicine. I feel helpless, as I’m unable to get an auto and can’t travel via bus for the same,” he said. Colonel Vinod Singh Mathur, 71, is an ex-serviceman, who took voluntary retirement in 2000. Starting with low pension, his financial situation somewhat improved after the 6th pay commission. “While procuring prescribed medicines from ECHS polyclinic, not only me, but many face huge losses, as they always exhaust their stock and delay their payments to the local suppliers,” he said. Even after complaining to the authorities concerned, many like him are not compensated for the medicine. “ECHS can’t do anything,” said Kumar Manvendra, physiotherapist at an ECHS polyclinic in the city. “The newly elected body at IFA is to be held responsible for the delay in approval of medicine demand at ECHS. We have been experiencing this for the past 5-6 months.” Chakraborty, the ECHS station headquarter authority said, “IFA has a lot of work, while dealing with medicines for various ECHS polyclinics. Therefore, it’s justified for them to take time to approve medicines.” The Integrated Finance Adviser’s office was unavailable for comment. Much of the state of ex-servicemen also has to do with
Staying far away from ECHS clinics makes it difficult to travel all the way and being told to come after 2-3 days for medicine. I feel helpless, as I’m unable to get an auto and can’t travel via bus for the same. — Devaraju, ex-serviceman, who suffers from diabetes
”
An ambulance outside an ECHS clinic in the city the delayed announcement of One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme. Retired servicemen in the state have been victims in the issue which has led to agitation all over India in recent times. According to the ECHS website, the scheme was laid down by the national government after a requirement was felt of establishing a medicare system which could provide quality medicare to the retirees of the Armed Forces”. Based on this aim, and after detailed deliberations, a comprehensive scheme has taken shape as ECHS in 2003, authorised vide Government of India, Ministry
of Defence letter No 22(i) 01/US/D(Res) dated 30 December 2002. With the advent of this scheme, ex-servicemen pensioners and their dependents who were only entitled for
treatment in service hospitals are now authorised treatment, not only in service hospitals, but also in those civil or private hospitals which are specifically empanelled with the ECHS.
Picture: Customs Today
Colonel Vinod Singh Mathur
Tuesday, September 15, 2015 3
THE OBSERVER
Illegal shop prompts police case Regina Gurung
Bhagwan Singh (right), the accused A man who cut through a supporting beam in an apartment block to open an illegal shop allegedly set local goons on residents who complained. Eighteen families were put at risk when Bhagwan Singh broke down walls and cut beams on the ground floor of his apartment block. A police complaint has now been lodged against him but neighbours say he is threatening them with local goons. Bhagwan Singh, a ground floor resident of Kaggadasapura has allegedly broken walls and beams to build an illegal shop in the building. Other residents of his building, Sree V. M. K. Meadows, have yet to see an action taken on their complaint. Residents complained that Singh has used local rowdies to threaten them. He has not responded to notices from the BBMP. “He got a leader of Youth Congress from this area and a relative to threaten me in case I filed a case. The relative said he is a powerful person in Ra-
The Sree V. M. K. Meadows before the illegal construction jasthan,” said Vijay Shrivastava, president of the Residents’ Welfare Association. Eighteen families live in the building. “Bhagwan Singh has already broken the wall and cut the lintel beam to make a shutter for his shop.” he said. Vamsi Krishna, a fourth-floor resident of the building said Bhagwan Singh cut off the lintel beam without consulting an engineer. Lintel beam holds the entire weight of the building. Singh does not have a li-
Human trafficking conference Contd. from Page 1 According to Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code, human trafficking is a non-bailable, cognizable offence. In some cases with multiple victims of bonded labour trafficking, the
minimum sentence can be up to 14 years of imprisonment, with a maximum of life imprisonment. The two-day conference which began on Monday saw paper presentations and panel discussions on the issue.
The building after the damage
cence from the BBMP for commercial use of the space. First-floor resident Srinivasarao said the shop would create public disturbance. “Provisional stores also entice rats and cockroaches,” he said. “The case is no more a civil case,” said Ramadevi, sub-inspector of Byappanahalli Police Station. “Singh has used threatening means to get to his end, so he is charged under section 506 of Indian Penal Code and court will give per-
mission to file an FIR.” The complaint was initially filed with the BBMP on July 2 and a notice was issued to Bhagwan Singh, with no response until now. “A police complaint became necessary and we complained to Byappanahalli Police Station on September 13,” said residents. “If by tomorrow Bhagwan Singh does not abide by the notice given by BBMP then his property is surely going to be seized,” said Mallinath, the assistant engineer for ward 81, on Tuesday.
On July 3, Bhagwan Singh is said to have brought “local people from his caste” and wrongly claimed them to be from BBMP. He threatened that he is from Rajasthan and knows “money can buy BBMP”. When asked about this case Bhagwan Singh refused to comment on this issue. “As of now, we are in a preliminary stage and non-cognizable report has been issued against him,” said Ramadevi, sub-inspector of Byappanahalli Police Station.
FACT BOX: Human Trafficking MYTHS
REALITIES
If labourers consent to come, it cannot be trafficking
According to Section 370, consent is immaterial. If a labourer agrees to travel for work and was promised better wages and consent is obtained to go from one place to another then this is an obtained one.
If a labourer initially came freely, they cannot be a traffic victim
A person can be trafficked to a place they have already been to. It’d be trafficking if a labourer works in a place but then leaves and is forced to return.
If a person is not initially exploited as a bonded labourer, it will be not be trafficking
The employer may recruit a person for exploitation as a bonded labourer and treat them well so that they get used to working there and then he gradually increases the level of exploitation.
If a labourer has not come from anTrafficking, irrespective of which part of the world, is an other country or state,it cannot be offense. trafficking.
Brinda Adige, a speaker at the conference
All the elements of Not every defaulter involved in trafficking is convicted but recruitment/transportation/harbourthe law says that whoever is found involved in the action ing/transferring and receiving need of trafficking during the investigation will be convicted. to be proved.
4 THE OBSERVER
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
5 out of 6 high-rises have no fire safety certificate Payal Gangishetty High-rise buildings that do not comply with safety rules will have their power supply cut, according to a senior fire official. In extreme cases, businesses could be closed down and buildings sealed, according to N. R. Markandeya, Deputy Director, Karnataka State Fire and Emergency
N.R Markandeya, Deputy Director, KSFES
Services. “The building owners will be given three months of time to respond and if they violate it, we will ask the BESCOM authorities to disconnect the electricity of the building,” Markandeya said. “If a further delay is witnessed in responding, we might seal the building and withdraw the occupancy certificate.” A survey by Fire and Emergency Services Department shows that five out of every six high-rise buildings do not have a prior approval from the fire authority. The National Building Code, 2005, states that every highrise building with a height of 30 metres or more should have a fire control room. Authorities say that the high-rise buildings should have a fire officer and assembly area. Most of the buildings in Bangalore do not follow these norms. “The survey is still in the process, and it takes another three months to know the exact number of buildings from
various fields that are operating without a no-objection certificate (NOC),” he said. Malls, convention centres and some other commercial complexes constitute many of Bangalore’s high-rise buildings. The survey by Fire and Emergency Services Department began in July this year. It said out of 18,000 buildings surveyed till now, about 3,000 have a NOC. The Karnataka Fire Services
Act, 1965, has set regulations for the construction of .high-rise buildings. One of the regulations states that roads in front of high-rise buildings should be 12 metres wide for easy movement of fire engines and the minimum set back space around the buildings should be 7 metres. The setback space requirement has been mentioned in the following table:
@Times of India Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina announced as one of the winners of the @UN Champions of the Earth award @BBC Breaking News Malcolm Turnbull sworn in as new Australian prime minister http://bbc.in/1xcqUli
Cops use tech to trace murder victim Sanskriti Talwar Police sent a piglet wearing a camera down a manhole in their hunt for the body of a sixyear-old girl, Husna Baig, a victim in a triple homicide. The bodies of the other two victims, Husna’s siblings, were found on September 8 in a mini-forest near KG Halli, in HBR layout. Fayum Baig, a relative, had earlier said that he pushed the three children into the manhole in anger after he saw their mother with another man. The missing report of the three siblings was filed by their mother, Nazima Begum at Banaswadi police station. The three children were last seen in their school on August 27. Fayum, the main accused in the case, is the cousin of the victims’ biological father Ilyaz Baig. He confessed to his crime during investigation by the Banaswadi police. Fayum told police that he had a love affair with Nazima
The piglet sent into the manhole
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@NewsX Big victory for India as UN adopts text-based negotiations on UNSC reforms http://bit.ly/1ObB57a @NDTV Sania Mirza Returns Home, Dedicates US Open Title to People of India @Times Now This is a historic year for India-Sri Lanka relations: PM Modi @the_hindu The world’s largest chain of volcanoes is discovered in Australia http://thne.ws/1EZBozh @TIME Air India grounds 125 cabin crew deemed “too fat” http://ti.me/1EZvVbS @ZeeNews Unprecedented US security operation for Pope Francis
Search operation team trying to find the body of six-year-old Husna and wanted to marry her. The children were picked up by Fayum on August 27 from Siddhartha School, after which he pushed them into the manhole. The investigation team along with national disaster response force (NDRF), Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike
(BBMP), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) broke down the manhole and dug the whole drain to find the body. After over a week of investigation, they managed to recover the body of the other two siblings, eight-year-old Abbas
Baig and four-year-old Rahim Baig. Nazima and her husband Ilyaz separated six months ago. “Ilyaz has nothing to do with the murder,” said a constable from the Banaswadi police station.
@htTweets Delhi boy dies of dengue, father alleges hospital negligence http://read.ht/vXD @prasarbharati Tribute to Greatest Engineering Father of Nation #BharatRatna Sir M. Visvesvaraya on his Birth Anni. #EngineersDay
THE OBSERVER Editor: Sana Husain | News Editor: Raina Paul | Chief Sub-Editor: Tanay Sukumar Picture Editor: Reema Mukherjee | Sub-Editors: Regina Gurung, Sanskriti Talwar, Rishi Sabharwal, Payal Gangishetty Social Media Manager: Rajarshi Das | Design and Layout: Prabhpreet Singh Sood | Reporter: Sutanu Guha